Large consumers of fossil fuels are required to meet emission standards which become stricter as time progresses. Among the pollutants that must be controlled are oxides of nitrogen collectively referred to as NOX. New installations of boilers and furnaces are designed to provide reduced emission of such pollutants. However, existing large, pulverized coal fired boilers and furnaces are difficult to modify economically to yield tolerable pollutant levels, particularly when subjected to appreciable load variations.
What is needed is a device that will alter the combustion in existing installations such that NOX pollutants are reduced. The device desirably will be readily introducible into existing coal nozzles, will provide a flowing mixture which is readily ignitable, and will operate in a stable manner over a wide range of load variations.